Our Approach to Campus Health and Safety Policies
We are excited to come together in celebration at university Commencement events this week—congratulations to all of our graduates!
As we reach the end of a remarkable academic year, we also thank everyone for your commitment to caring for one another. You have persevered with patience as we navigated through a constantly changing COVID environment. Looking ahead, we are reinforcing the university’s approach to health and safety on campus while making our policies more relevant and nimble to meet the needs of our community.
Our Approach
The university’s multi-layered, science-based approach to health and safety, which includes required up-to-date vaccination (in alignment with CDC and NYSDOH definitions), along with proven measures such as wearing a mask, testing, and enhanced ventilation and cleaning, have helped maintain the well-being of our community.
Beginning Monday, May 23rd, masks and testing will be encouraged and optional in nearly all campus spaces, as we shared in April. We recognize that the university’s shift to mask optional comes as NYC’s alert level was raised to “high”, indicating heightened city-wide transmission. The 99% vaccination rate on our campus, including our requirement to be up-to-date, provides our community with needed protection. In line with guidance from the NYC Health Commissioner and the university’s public health advisor, we continue to strongly recommend—but not require—that community members wear a mask in any public indoor setting.
Limited exceptions include:
- Brief entry periods: Masks and testing will be required at the start of each term and after long breaks.
- Student Health Services: Masks will be required regardless of vaccination status.
- Appropriate precautions, including wearing masks,frequently testing for building access, and communicating with medical providers, by those who are:
- Not up-to-date or unvaccinated with an approved exemption; or,
- Isolating, quarantining, or exposed to COVID.
- Targeted adjustments due to changes in the campus or overall environment and grounded in public health guidance.
Access to Masks and Tests on Campus
The university will continue to provide free COVID PCR tests to all active students, faculty, and staff. We will also continue to distribute free masks on campus.
Guidance on Masks
The university strongly supports anyone who wishes to wear a mask at any time, in any environment, and for any reason. Wearing a mask does not indicate one’s vaccination, infection, or exposure status.
Summer Campus Policies
The entry period for summer impacts all those who are participating in a course or program lasting one week or longer on campus.
During the first week of the course or program:
- Masks will be required in classrooms; and,
- Two PCR entry tests are required.
- Up to 4 days before moving in or starting class (whichever is earlier)
- Within the first week of being on campus
Students and faculty will be notified by their program director when masks and tests are required and when they are optional.
Anticipated Fall Campus Policies
We expect to continue this approach in Fall 2022, including a brief entry period starting in mid-August requiring testing and masks in classrooms. We will confirm Fall 2022 campus policies in July.